Perched high above the Indre, Domaine de la Tortiniere, an attractive, turreted château, has a clear view across its own sloping meadows and the river to the tower of Montbazon-en-Touraine, and is close to the line of the old Roman road that led from there to Tours. Built in 1866 by the widow of Armand Dalloz (who created France's civil code), it took its name from the old manor that preceded it and first became a hotel in 1955. It is run with charm and energy by Xavier Olivereau and his wife Anne, who show the kind of attention to detail and genuine concern for the comfort of their guests that is almost a forgotten art elsewhere.

The ground floor hall and salon are panelled and plastered, with parquet floors dotted with oriental rugs, empire chairs and generously upholstered, comfortable sofas. The winter restaurant shares this floor and has a cosy section inside one of the house's twin towers. The other tower hides a winding staircase and an underground passage to the spare and cool summer restaurant in the old orangery beneath a formal terrace. In dry weather the tables drift outside under awnings to get the full benefit of the magical setting. Bedrooms are a satisfying combination of taste and money: both elegant and comfortable. Some are not in the château proper but these are, if anything, of an even higher standard.